Apparatus for manufacturing brick



June 16, 1953 H. RIVERS 2,641,820

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BRICK Filed Feb. 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet].

IN VENTO R flg flvara 1? 1' 1 9/29 ATTORNEY June 6, 1953 H. RIVERS I 2,641,820

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BRICK Filed Feb. 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fleyward Ever: BY I ATTORNEY Patented June'16, 1953 APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BRICK Hayward Rivers, Augusta, Ga., assignor to The Babcock & Wilcox Company, Rockleigh, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 7, 1950, Serial No. 142,785 I 7 Claims. (Cl."25--103) This invention relates to the manufacture of brick and, more particularly, to improved appara-tus for assuring a uniform surface on brick manufactured by the'dry press process.

In brick manufacturing apparatus of the type to which the present invention is directed, a hopper is provided to contain a supply of relatively coarse mix used to make the bricks, and which may comprise clay of a certain type or mixtures of clays with or without addition of other material. Associated with the hopper is a mold cavity for receiving a charge of mix from the hopper, and die means are operatively associated with the mold cavity, to compress the mix therein to form a brick'and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity.

The cavity is charged with mix by a charger which is reciprocable between av first position in which it receives mix fron'l'the hopper and a secondposition in which it discharges mix into the mold cavity. This charger, in its forward or mold cavity filling stroke, is adapted to remove a previously formed brick which has been ejected from the mold cavity and position the brick on a receiving surface forwardly of the mold cavity.

When the charger isin the return position adjacent the supply hopper, the aforementioned die means operate to compress the mix into a brick, and to eject the brick from the mold cavity.

The apparatus is usually so arranged that the K power source, such as an electric motor, and timing means are provided, preferably of a mechanical nature, so that the operation takes place in the desired predetermined sequence.

In the use of such apparatus, it has been found that, if the mix is not uniformly distributed through out the mold cavity, the surfaceof the formed. brick may vary. The reason for-this is that the relatively coarse and fairly-dry mix has only a very slight tendency to flow under the applied die pressure. If the mix is so distributed that the level thereof in the mold. is uneven 01' is higher'at the rear end than at the forward end, for example, it will .befound that the surface of the pressed brick is smoother at the pol:-

tions having the higher level of mix, such as at its rear portion, than in its forward portion, for example, as even the very heavy pressure exerted by the die means is insuificient to effect sufficient flow of the mix to assure a uniform distribution thereof.

Such non-uniform distribution of the mix is frequently caused by the charger during its return stroke in which the excess mix is removed from the upper surface of the mix in the mold cavity. With the large mesh mix, the scraping edge of the charger tends'to roll lumps of the mix toward'the rear edge of the mold, thereby causing the level of the mix in the mold to be rough or uneven, and generally higher at its rear end than at its forward end.

The present invention is directed to improved apparatus for assuring a uniform level of the mix throughout the extent of the mold cavity. For this purpose, a trough is mounted on a brick pressing machine of the described type, preferably adjacent the forward limit of movement of the charger. This trough has an adjustable gate which is arranged to be opened during the mold filling stroke of the charger by the formed brick removing pusher means of the latter. The troughis filled with grog, preferably relatively line, such as 14 mesh for example.

A. spreader, such as a hopper tapering to a narrow elongated bottom outlet, is movable in substantial synchronism with the charger. When the charger fills the mold with relatively coarse mix, during the forward or filling stroke of the charger, the spreader is aligned beneath the hopper, and the hopper gate is open a. selected amount to discharge a predetermined quantity of fine grog into the spreader. During the return stroke of the charger, the separator distributes such fine grog over the upper surface of the mix in the mold cavity, and its lower edge levels off the fine grog, bringing the level of the mix to a substantially uniform height throughout the extent of the mold cavity and thus compensating for any irregularity in the level of the upper surface of the mix caused by vention, the spreader is mounted on the forward end of such gate. Additionally, the charger generally has 'a. pusher, such as an angular bar or the like, secured to its forward end for engaging and removing the ejected previously formed brick. In the preferred embodiment, the trough gate is horizontally movable and spring biased to a closed position, and carries an adjustable abutment which is engaged by the pusher bar on the charger to open the gate, when the spreader is beneath the trough, an amount predetermined in accordance with the desired amount of fine grog to be spread over the surface of the mix in the mold cavity.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for the dry press manufacture of brick.

Another object is to provide such apparatus in which the level of the mix within the mold cavity is maintained at a uniform value throughout the extent of the mold.

These, and other objects. advantages, and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through brick forming and pressing apparatus of the type to which the present invention is applicable; and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are partial elevation and sectional views illustrating the invention improvement and its operation, non-related parts of the apparatus of Fig. 1 being omitted for the purpose of clarifying th illustration.

. In order that the application of the invention to brick manufacturing apparatus will be readily understood, Fig. 1 illustrates the main elements of a well known type of machine for forming and pressing brick. The machine illustrated in Fig.

1 is known to the art as a Boyd Brick Press. In this figure, the machine is illustrated without the invention improvements, in order to simplify the disclosure, and the improvements have been shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, with only the directly associated elements of the machine of Fig. 1, in order to afford a clearer understanding of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the brick manufacturing apparatus I9 includes a supporting frame generally indicated at II on which is mounted a hopper I5 in back of an upright or die guiding portion I2 of frame II. Hopper I5 is arranged to contain a supply of relatively coarse mesh mix for pressing into bricks, and acts as a reservoir which may be kept filled with mix by means of a suitable conduit or chute leading to a storage bin (not shown) on an overhead support, for example. Hopper I5 has an open bottom I6 which is vertically alignable with the mix receiving chamber 2| of a charger generally indicated at 29. Charger 29, in Fig. 1, is in an intermediate retracted position.

Charger is arranged to reciprocate in a substantially horizontal plane so that chamber 2I is movable between a position vertically aligned with hopper I5 and a position vertically aligned with a mold cavity 25. In the first position, chamber 2| is charged with mix from hopper I5 and, as charger 29 moves towards mold cavity 25, a horizontal upper plate 22 on the charger seals the open bottom I6 of hopper I5.

The mold cavity 25 is aligned with the vertical support I2 which acts as supporting and guiding means for the upper die means 30. Cavity 25 may have removable liners 26 so that the shape of the cavity may be changed in accordance with the desired shape of the brick.

Associated with the cavity 25 is a lower die means acting as a bottom closure for cavity 25.

Dies 3B and 35 are detachably secured to support blocks such as 3| and 36, whereby the dies may be changed and other dies substituted therefor when the shape of the mold cavity is changed. In the operation of the machine, the dies 33 and 35 compress the mix discharged into cavity 25 from chamber 2 I, after which lower die 35 moves upwardly to eject the formed brick. On the next forward stroke of charger 26, the forward edge of the latter, or a suitable pusher bar secured to the forward edge, pushes the formed brick forwardly onto a table II from which the formed brick may be removed to a suitable conveyor for further processing.

The operation of the dies 39 and 35, and of the charger 29, is effected in timed relation so that, when the dies are withdrawn, the charger fills the mold cavity and, as the charger withdraws to a position aligning chamber 2| with hopper I5, the dies compress the mix in the mold cavity. The dies then release, with lower die 35 moving upwardly to eject the formed brick.

As the operation of the well known apparatus shown in Fig. l is familiar to those skilled in the art, only a brief description of the operation will be necessary. The brick forming and pressing machine is driven, from a suitable electric motor, internal combustion engine, or other power source, which drives a pulley I3. Through suitable clutches and gearing, pulley I3 drives a pinion M which rotates a massive gear H3 in a clockwise direction. Gear I8 carries a crank pin 25 connected to the pivot 21 of a toggle, generally indicated at 33, by a beam I9. The upper arm 28 of the toggle is oscillatable on a pin 29 con nected to the upper ends of sidearms 31. The sidearms are vertically reciprocable in frameportion I2 and their lower ends are connected to crosshead 38. An equalizing spring 39 is compressed by downward movement of sidearms 31.

Crosshead 39 has a recess in which is seated a spring 56 biasing upwardly block 36 to which is secured lower die 35. A saddle rod 57, attached to block 36, is reciprocable through crosshead 39, and its lower end carries a saddle 58 which is engageable by the inner ends of a dual lever 59 oscillatable on a pin BI mounted in a bracket 62 attached to crosshead 38. The forked outer ends of lever 59 engage a pin 63 on a nut 64 which is vertically adjustable along a threaded shaft 66 operated by a hand wheel 34. These latter elements comprise a pressure adjusting mechanism which has a fulcrum on pin 63. A cammed lifting shoe 61 secured on the lower surface of beam I9 is cooperable with a lifting roller 68 mounted on frame II.

In Fig. 1, the dies are shown substantially in their maximum pressure position, and the engagement of shoe 6! with roller 68 has lifted the side bars 31 and attached crosshead 33. Beam I9 is about to move outwardly to release the toggle 33. Due to the upward movement of crosshead 31, lever 59 has swung upwardly about pin 63, the relations involved being such that the inner ends of the lever have disengaged, and are substantially spaced from, saddle 58. The pressure of upper die 30 holds lower die 35 with its mounting block 36 against crosshead 38 and compressing spring 56.

As beam I9 moves outwardly to release the toggle mechanism, and thus withdraw upper die 30, the shoe 61 riding outwardly over roller 68 causes the outer end of beam I9 to move upwardly raising side arms 31 and crosshead 38 even more. This increases the spacing of the aeeneao further upwardly; spring 56. bia-ses. lower: die? 35':

to-move upwardly. 'Ilremnvementotlowcr'die Charger 20 is reciprocated. horizontally by-"ani armi23iconnectedto the hopper: by links 242. The

reciprocating mechanism 23, M for. thezcharger is coordinated, with the die operating." mecha.- nism. in order to provide the aforementioned cycle of operation. Whendie. 30. is clear; of" the mold anddieSihas ejectedbricic t; charger:

horizontal; flange of? crossbar 45. is provided with a. suitable; opening Fig. 2'. shows charger '20: in its extreme: forwardposition in which. it discharged a body of mix 53: into: mpld c'avity25 this mix having previously discharged: into: chamber 21: from hopper 5-5. As

' charger; 2!! nears its limit of. forward. movement,

in its outward stroke", is adapted" to: move bricls 25', which has undesirable" results inso far as.

uniform-surface of theformed brick is'concerned. To this end, the invention resides in apparatus for distributing fine grog over the upper surface of the mix during the return stroke ofthe charger so that there will be-a uniform level of mix inthe moldcavity.

Referring. to Figs.- 2,. 3- and: 4, the: chargelrlilis generally provided with at raising gate: 40 which is. used to pile mix whereneededduringJ themanufacture of special shape-bricks. fiiatell ii includes a forward crossbarfl t and a pair of side arms 42. which are pivotally'connected', as at 43, to charger 20'. Also, the forwardend of charger 2.0 has secured thereto an. angular cross bar G5,. whose depending flang 4.6: acts as a pusher: for removing the formed. brick. 5D to tablel1 after the. brick has been. ejected;v from: cavity 25- bylower. die 35.

hi accordance with the invention, atrough or hopper 55: is mounted. on. or. adjacent upright frame portion. 12. near. the frontiace of machine It, this front face being indicated by the dot. and dash. line. l2.. Trough 55 i has. a. bottom opening which is. controlledby a horizontally slidable gate 49 which. is biased. bya-- spring 4? to a hopper. closing position. Gate 49 hasa depending, abutment 481 in. which is adjustably mounted a stud or. bolt. 5i projecting. rearwardly. toward charger 2'0 and. so positioned that. it will be err-- gaged by depending. flange. 46 of bar as. when charger 20 is reaching. the limit. of its. forward movement. v

Mounted on cross. bar 41- ofgate 40 is a spreader 6.0; in the form of a small.- hopper. or

the like, having a relatively wide, open. top and:

a transversely elongated, narrow slot in its bottom edge. material. from trough. 55" when gate 49' is open,

and the bottom. edge of. thespreaderrest's. on the.

supporting. surface for charger 20: so that: such. edge scrapes along the surface. Eor'punp'osg of.

providing entry of fine grog into spreader fi'llythe Spreader 69 isarranged. to receive flange. 4'5: of. bar 45 strikesbolt or stud 5 5: opening gated against the tension" of spring t1; Trough 55: contains a supply of fine grog, for exampieof 14: mesh, or: less. As gate 49 is openedthis fine. grog flows from trough 55- through opening 4 of bar' 45 into spreader: 60. 'I'hej amount of grog: entering. spreader 60. is controlled by the degree of opening of. gate 49. This is adjustable by means of stud 5| to the degree of opening required in any particular case;

As charger 20. retracts toward hopper iii, the grog in spreader 60. is distributed. over the upper surface of mix 53in cavity 25', the relatively fine grog: being flowed over the coarse mix, to obtain a uniform level. of mix, by 'means of scrapingiaction. of; the rear edge of bottom discharge slot of. spreader 69.. When charger 2!! has. reached. itsretractedposition, as shown in Fig. 3, dies 39 and 35. compress the mix. in cavity 25 into the desired shape of the brick 50. Upper die 39 then moves upwardly under the. action of toggle mechanism. 33, and lower die 35 rises to eject brick 50, as. described.

As the charger 20 then moves. forwardly to refill cavity 25 with. mix, pusher bar. flange d6 engages brick and moves the latter forwardly onto table 11. As the forward movement of charger 2!! continues, flange '45 engages bolt 5| to open gate 55to refill spreader as previously described. This cycle is repeated each. time the machine. forms a brick. Of. course, if a multiple cavity machine is 'used, the. invention apparatus isprovidecl in multiple and associated with each of. the chargers.

Due to the uniform. upper level of the mix in mold cavity 25, theformed. brick has a uniform upper surface. The relatively fine grog, as distinguishedfrom the relatively coarse mix, flows" over the upper surface of the mix, under the scraping action of charger 25), to achieve the desired uniform upper level. I

It will be understood that spreader 69 neednot necessarily be mounted on. charger 29, pro- 7 vided the spreader is moved inwardly to spread the fine grog after the charger 20 has withdrawn over the material in cavity 25. Also, gate 49 can be operated otherwise than by the charger 20 abutting bolt'5l.

gear |3,.as can also'be gate 4%.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has. been. shown and described in some detail to illustrate the application ofthe; invention; principles, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

Iclaim:

1. In brick manufacturing apparatus of the type including a hopper for containing mix, means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper, die means operatively associated with the cavity'to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity, a charger having a mix receiving space and reciprocable' between a rearward position in which it receives and discharging mix into the mold cavity during For example, spreader as. can be operated by suitable mechanism driven from equal to the mold capacity before compression of the brick, said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity by engaging the formed brick by pusher means mounted on the charger in forwardly spaced relation to the forward edge of the charger mix receiving space and, on its retraction toward such rearward position, removing excess mix from the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity; the combination comprising a trough mounted'in advance of such'forward position for containing a supply of fines; gate means controlling discharge of fines from said trough; spreader means supported b the charger between the charger mix receiving space and such pusher means and arranged to receive fines from said trough and to discharge said fines onto the surface of the mix in the mold cavity during such retraction of the charger; and abutment means on said gate means engageable by such pusher means to open said gate means when said spreader means is aligned with said trough 2. In brick manufacturing apparatus of the type including a hopper for containing mix, means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper, die means operatively associated with the cavity to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity, a charger having a mix receiving space and reciprocable between a rearward position in which it receives mix from said hopper and a forward position, and discharging mix into the mold cavity during advance toward such forward position, the mix receiving capacity of the charger being at least equal to the mold capacity before compression of the brick, said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity by engaging the forward brick by pusher means mounted on the charger in forwardly spaced relation to the forward edge of the charger mix receiving space and, on its retraction toward such rearward position, removing excess mix from the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity; the combination comprising a trough mounted in advance of the forward limit of movement of the charger for containing a sup ply of fines; gate means controlling discharge of fines from said trough; means biasing said gate means to a closed position; spreader means supported by the charger between the charger mix receiving space and such pusher means and arranged to receive fines from said trough and to discharge said fines onto the surface of the mix in the mold cavity during such retraction of the charger; and abutment means on said gate means engageable by such pusher means to open said gate means when said spreader means is aligned with said trough.

3. In brick manufacturing apparatus of the type including a hopper for containing mix, means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper, die means operatively associated with the; cavity to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity, a charger having a mix receiving space and reciprocable between a rearward position in which it receives mix from said hopper and a forward position discharging mix into the mold cavity during advance toward such forward position, the mix receiving capacity of the charger being at least equal to the mold capacity before compression 8 of the brick, said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity by engaging the formed Y brick by pusher means mounted on the charger in forwardly spaced relation to the forward edge of the charger mixreceiving space and, on its retraction toward such rearward position, removing excess mix from the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity; the combination comprising a trough mounted in advance of the forward limit of movement of the charger for containing a supply of fines; gate means controlling discharge of fines from said trough; means biasing said gate means to a closed position; spreader means supported by the charger between the charger mix receiving space and such pusher means and arranged to receive fines from said trough and to discharge said fines onto the surface of the mix in the mold cavity during such retraction of the charger; and abutment means on said gate means engageable by such pusher means to open said gate means when said spreader means is aligned with said trough, said abutment means being relatively adjustable whereby to vary the degree of opening of said gate means,

4. Apparatus for manufacturing pressed brick comprising, in combination, a hopper for containing mix; means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper; die means operatively associated with the cavity to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity; a charger reciprocable between a rearward position in which it receives mix from said hopper and a forward position, and discharging mix into the mold cavity during advance toward such forward position; said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity and, on its retraction toward such rearward position, removing excess mix from the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity; a trough mounted adjacent the forward position of said charger for containing a supply of fines; gate means controlling'discharge of fines from said trough; means biasing said gate to a closed position; an adjustable stop secured to said gate means; spreader means movable over the mold cavity with said charger and arranged to receive fines from said trough, when said charger is at such forward position, and to discharge said fines onto the surface of the mix in the mold cavity during such retraction of said charger; and abutment means on the forward end of said charger arranged to engage said stop to open said gate means when said spreader means is aligned with said trough; said adjustable stop controlling the degree of opening of said gate means.

5. In brick manufacturing apparatus of the type including a hopper for containing mix, means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper, die means operatively associated with the cavity to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity, a charger reciprocable between a rearward position in which it receives mix from said hopper and a forward position, and discharging mix into the mold cavity during advance toward such forward position, said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity and, on its retraction toward such rearward position, removing excess mix from the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity; the combination comprising a trough mounted adjacent the forward position of the charger for conmovable over the mold cavity with said charger and arranged to receive fines from said trough,

' when said charger is at such forward position,

and to dicharge said fines onto the surface of the mix in the mold cavity during such retraction of the charger; and abutment means on the forward end of the charger arranged to engage said stop to open said gate means when said spreader said gate means. 7

- 6. Apparatus for manufacturing pressed brick comprising; in combination, a hopper for containing mix; means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper; die means operatively associated with the cavity to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity; a charger reciprocable between a rearward position in which it receives mix from said hopper and a forward position, and discharging mix into the mold cavity during advance toward such forward position; said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity and, on its retraction to ward such forward position, removing excess mix from the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity and having pusher means secured to its forward end to engage the ejected formed bricks; a trough mounted adjacent the forward position of said charger for containing a supply of fines; gate meanscontrolling discharge of fines from said trough; means biasing said gate to a closed position; an adjustable stop secured to said gate means; and a spreader secured to the forward end of said charger and arranged to receive fines from said trough, when said charger is at such o 10 V 7. In brick manufacturing apparatus of the type including a hopper for containing mix, means forming a mold cavity for receiving mix and spaced from said hopper, die means. operatively associated with the cavity to compress mix therein to form a brick and to eject the formed brick from the mold cavity, a charger reciprocable between a rearward position in which it receives mix from'said hopper and a forward position, and discharging mix into the mold cavity during advance toward such forward position, said charger, in its mold cavity filling stroke, removing a formed brick ejected from the mold cavity and, on its retraction toward such rearward position, removing excess mixfrom the surface of the mix filling the mold cavity and having pusher means secured to its forward end to engage the ejected formed bricks; the combination comprising a trough mounted adjacent the forward position of said charger for containing a' supply of fines; gate means controlling discharge of fines from said trough; means biasing said gate to a closed position; an adjustable stop secured to said gate means; and a spreader secured to theforward end of said charger and arranged to receive fines from said trough, when said charger is at such forward position, and to discharge said fines onto the surface of the mix in the mold cavity during such retraction of said charger; said pusher means being arranged to engage said stop to open said gate means when said spreader is'aligned with said trough; said adjustable stop controlling the degree of opening of said gate means. a

HEYWARD RIVERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

